How Quincy Jones Reinvented American Music

On this week’s show, Extremely Musical Friend of the Pod (EMFOP)‌ Chris Molanphy joins to memorialize pop’s Renaissance Man, Quincy Jones, who passed away on November 3, 2024. The legendary producer worked with every star under the sun, including Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and Chaka Khan, and created the best-selling album in history. (“Thriller,” maybe you’ve heard of it?)

Then, the trio mulls over Conclave, a sumptuous new film by director Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front) about what happens when the Pope dies. It’s a fun, pulp-y romp, but does the movie have anything profound to say?‌ Finally, the panel considers Martha, a Netflix documentary about Martha Stewart’s rise to fame – and confronts all of lifestyle guru’s charms, mysteries, and borderline sociopathic tendencies.

Mentioned in today’s episode:‌

• Hit Parade’s “I Wanna Rock with Q“ series.
• Conclave review, written by Dana.
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In the exclusive Slate Plus bonus episode, the panel unpacks the most interesting part of Conclave:‌ that out-of-left-field plot twist.

Email us at culturefest@slate.com. 

Endorsements:

Dana:‌ Will &‌ Harper on Netflix.

Steve:‌ Getting lost in “Songs of a Lost World,”‌ a new album by the Cure.

Chris:‌ The podcast A Very Good Year.

Julia:‌ Throwing a birthday for your house; commissioning a micro-history of your home.

Podcast production by Jared Downing. Production assistance by Kat Hong.